Refit Vs Rebuild

11 Aug Refit Vs Rebuild

8 reasons to consider a refit rather than a new build

Stephen Rice, Design Director at Design Unlimited, says there are many reasons to consider refurbishing a vessel rather than building from scratch;

Environmentally friendly – the last 20 years have seen a huge rise in consciousness about being eco-friendly and not being wasteful. Breathing new life into an existing vessel upholds this philosophy rather than it just being discarded.

Quicker end-product – the time frame for a refit of a 50m boat can be in the region of 6 – 12 months in comparison to 2 – 3 years for an equivalent new build.

Continued use of vessel – Stephen says, ‘we worked with one client who would use their boat in the summer season and return in the winter months for the continued refit. It is a challenge for all involved, but not impossible.’

Provenance – just like classic car, older yachts have all the history and heritage that goes with it like famous owners or a renowned designer. ‘We had a client,’ recalls Stephen, ‘whose yacht was requisitioned during World War II. You can’t recreate that innate history with a new build.’

Yard availability – because a refit needs a shorter amount of time in the yard to a new build it is more than likely a yard will have an available build slot, resulting in a quicker turnaround.

Economics– even a major refit can be far less of an investment than a new build as it can be more efficient to rearrange a vessel’s layout, interior styling, update technology and safety and even make external changes precisely to client’s requirements.

Different compliance code– dependent on the level of refit, many refurbished yachts have to comply with rules relevant to the year of launch unlike a new build that will have to adhere to new stringent 21st century directions.

More efficient design process – ‘With a yacht that’s actually in existence,’ explains Stephen, ‘owners are able to visualize what they want far easier than they would relaying on renderings or 3D models, making the decision making process that much more fluid.’

Finding a boat for refurbishment is not a simple process, but Design Unlimited can assist through their extensive marine network. And once the right vessel is found the DU team can then bring it back to life, from concept through to launch, with as much involvement as the client would like. As Stephen concludes, ‘we can fulfil our clients dream project bringing the refurbishment to life in front of their very eyes.’